Taipei Metro was the first metro system in Taiwan. The system has often been praised for its safety, reliability and quality. The idea of constructing the Taipei Metro was first put forth at a press conference on 28 June , where the Minister of Transportation and Communications Sun Yun-suan announced his ministry's plans to begin researching the possibility of constructing a rapid transit network in the Taipei metropolitan area ; however, the plan was shelved due to fiscal concerns and the belief that such a system was not urgently needed at the time.
With the increase of traffic congestion accompanying economic growth in the s, the need for a rapid transit system became more pressing. In January , the university proposed an initial design for a medium-capacity rapid transit system in Taipei City, including plans for Wenhu line and Tamsui—Xinyi line of the medium-capacity metro system.
Apart from adjustments made to the initial proposal, Wenhu line of the medium-capacity metro system was also included into the network. In , the initial network design of the Taipei Metro by the CEPD was passed by the Executive Yuan , although the network corridors were not yet set.
The Executive Yuan approved the initial network plan for the system on 27 May The TRTS was the center of political controversy during its construction and shortly after the opening of its first line in due to incidents such as computer malfunction during a thunderstorm, alleged structural problems in some elevated segments, budget overruns , and fare prices.
The system opened on 28 March , with the The first high-capacity line, the Tamsui—Xinyi line , began service on 28 March , running from Tamsui to Zhongshan , then extended to Taipei Main Station at the end of the year. On 23 December , the system passed the milestone of million passengers. On 31 May , the second stage of the Banqiao—Nangang section and the Tucheng section began operation. Service was suspended on 1 October due to erosion from mudslides under a support pillar following Typhoon Jangmi.
